The Avett Brothers have announced shows in 2023, with a lone pair of shows in May taking them to Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in Lafayette on May 20 and at Artpark in Lewiston on May 21. They’ll be closing out 2022 with a three-night run in Brooklyn and ring in the year at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Avett Brothers, featuring siblings Scott and Seth, is a Grammy-nominated folk-rock band from North Carolina known for songs like “Kick Drum Heart,” “I and Love and You,” and “Ain’t No Man.”
The three-time GRAMMY Award nominees made mainstream waves with their 2009 major label debut, I And Love And You, which landed at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 & garnered critical acclaim. In 2012, The Carpenter hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200, followed by Magpie And The Dandelion in 2013, which debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top 200. In 2016, the band was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The group most recently released the 2020 EP The Third Gleam.
Tickets for The Avett Brothers at Beak and Skiff and Artpark go on sale Friday, October 28, at 10AM on ticketmaster.com and at venue box offices.
Avett Brothers Tour Dates
Saturday, May 20 – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Lafayette, NY
The Eaves Band, based in Buffalo, is comprised of Adam Clukey, Chris Couche, and Maurice Halliday. They’ve been friends since childhood and reconnected after a couple of years after, following going to different colleges, according to Couche.
The Eaves Band (Credit: Brett Pallachino Photography)
In late 2018, The Eaves debut record Learning to Live in the Dark was produced by GRAMMY Award-winner, Ted Hunt, whose worked with other bands including The Gaslight Anthem, Lucero, and Dropkick Murphys. Fast forward to 2022, their upcoming album Lately, I Don’t Have a God…and Other Obvious Epiphanies was recorded in collaboration with artist Jay Zubricky and features a production from bassist and vocalist of the Goo Goo Dolls, Robby Takac.
Cover Art for ‘Lately I Don’t Have A God…And Other Obvious Epiphanies’
“‘It’ll Be Okay’ was the last song we wrote for the record”, the band’s Chris Couche said. He explained that the track “is meant to be earnest, reassuring catharsis – direct, unashamed, and unadulterated.” The new video for the track is available for streaming on New Noise and DSPs.
Read more of NYS Music’s interview with The Eaves’ Chris Couche.
Heather Occhino: What made you guys decide to form a band?
Chris Couche: The three of us (Mo, Adam, and I) grew up together. We all had similar musical interests and played in bands together. We sort of went our separate ways during college and reconnected a couple years after. We caught up quick and realized that our shared music taste had evolved similarly, so we decided to start writing together and see if anything came of it.
HO: Are there any artists or bands who inspired you to pursue a career in music?
CC: We’re inspired by a ton of artists, but honestly, the first band that ever inspired to me to pick up a guitar and write was Blink-182. I was 11 or 12. I could barely play (still can’t), but the true power of blink is their accessibility and lack of pretense. As a 12 year old, those three power chords were ACCESSIBLE. They were the way in.
It would take a little longer, but the real revelation I needed to push me over the edge was seeing Bruce Springsteen live for the first time. Totally changed everything for me. My entire perception of music and what it could do was instantly upended. It was a surreal and borderline religious experience on a personal level. I know lately even Bruce himself has been trying to dismantle his mythic stature a little bit, or at least trying to temper unrealistic expectations and create some separation between persona and actual, fallible human being. The persona may be fictitious, but the euphoric result of that group sharing their talent and passion with a crowd of equally passionate participants is very, very real. It was after seeing Bruce that I realized I needed to make music a priority in my life.
HO: After reading an article on your music that was released by Earshot Media on Mad Mimi, I saw that your debut single, “It’ll Be Okay” is part of your upcoming album, Lately, I Don’t Have a God… and Other Obvious Epiphanies. What makes this track stand out from the other songs part of the debut album, despite it being the last song?
CC: “It’ll Be Okay” may be the only truly reassuring song we have. It only talks about the sun exploding ONCE. But really, we were at a point where it was kind of bothering me that even when I would try to write lyrics that were reassuring or positive, I would almost inevitably gravitate toward negative feelings, mostly because I’ve found it’s difficult to write something reassuring that feels like it has any genuine sentiment behind it. That likely says more about me than it does anything else, and uncoincidentally, is sort of thematic through-line that most of the album wrestles with. But “It’ll Be Okay” is our earnest attempt at surrendering to sincerity and opening up to catharsis. Sometimes cheesy is cool, clichés are cliché for a reason, and it’s okay to feel good.
From an instrumental perspective, Kyle Resnick lent his celestial horns for the chorus, which are maybe the most identifiable trait of the song overall, and really set the track aside sonically from some of the other songs on the record. We’re all big fans of The National, so working with Kyle was a surreal experience. He’s also the nicest, most down to earth person you’ll meet, and of course generous with his talent. If I was that good at something, you’d need a draw bridge to get to me.
HO: The recording and production of the album was assisted by established people in the music industry, like Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls and Kyle Resnick, who worked with the band, The National, and also featured on Taylor Swift’s album Folklore. Are you planning on working with these people again for future debut projects?
CC: If they’ll have us after reading this! We’re very fortunate and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with all the people who helped make this record. Jay Zubricky mixed and engineered the album at GCR Audio and helped introduce us to Robby Takac. Having grown up in Buffalo, getting a chance to work with Robby was a pinch me moment. The project started in 2019 with Robby and a couple songs and ended with an album in 2022, with Jay there every step of the way (with the pandemic, logistics prevented us from working with Robby on more of the record). Finally, I have to mention Stu McKillop who mastered the record at Rain City Mastering. He really flipped the switch and brought the creature to life.
HO: I also saw that you guys have shared the stage with other rock bands, such as The Joy Formidable and The Lawrence Arms. Would you be able to share when your group is planning on performing next with other musicians?
The Water Street Hall-O-Ween show will take place on Friday, October 28, featuring local and regional Rochester bands have the opportunity to perform on the Hall stage, performing as another band. There will also be a haunted house in The Club, curated by Casey Arthur, as well as a costume contest.
poster by Sadie May
Water Street Music Hall is located alongside the Genesee River and has been Rochester’s premier music venue since 1999. With more than 20 years of shows with artists from Ashanti to St. Vincent, we look forward to continuing our mission of bringing the finest musical acts to the ROC.
The lineup of bands and their musical costumes includes:
There are song covers, and then there’s what DM Stith did to R.E.M.’s “Man on the Moon.” Stith’s remake is transformative, turning the hazy guitar pop tune into an ethereal 13-minute drone piece.
Having dropped on October 14th, this remake is the upstate NY-based graphic artist and musician’s first release since his 2020 EP Waving 1-4. It’s also the first release on new NYC label Historical Fiction Records.
DM Stith.
In terms of soundscape, this cover is oriented around a fluttering piano melody and an ambient assembly of synths in the background with ghastly vocals which enter and exit throughout the track. Stith slows down the tempo to a crawl, allowing each lyric plenty of time to sink in. His whisper-like vocal performance doesn’t stray far from Michael Stipe’s original take, emphasizing the subtlety which Stith aims for.
Reinforcing this approach, he eschews R.E.M.’s upbeat chorus and zones in on its wistful verses. He adds lyrics of his own, complementing lines such as “Mr. Andy Kaufman’s gone wrestling” with other abstract musings such as “D’Angelo’s Voodoo over first person shooters” and “Mom is sinking deeper into CNN.”
Stith’s atmospheric take on the song also gives new power to lines from Stipe such as “Newton got beaned by the apple, good” and “Mr. Charles Darwin had the gall to ask” which admire two people who changed the boundaries of conventional thought.
While drawn out, this cover’s sound is powerful, getting louder and slowly adding layers as it progresses. Eight minutes of buildup is rewarded in the song’s instrumental outro, which for several minutes repeats the same idea found throughout the track but with waves of distorted, torrential noise.
Stith repeats the lyric “let’s play Twister, let’s play risk” numerous times in his cover, and fittingly so, because he most surely took risks. He abandoned a revered R.E.M. track’s song structure, instrumentation, and didn’t remotely adhere to its pacing, but still made a powerful and successful cover that earned the acclaim of Michael Stipe himself, who said “DM Stith whispers with hypnotic, bone-deep authenticity, somewhere between Nina Simone, Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey and Leonard Cohen.”
DM Stith’s remake of “Man on the Moon” is a shocking and moving rendition that masters the art of the cover track.
moequeous, the supergroup featuring members of two influential jam bands who got their starts in the Queen City of Buffalo, will reunite for the second time ever at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom on Saturday, October 29.
The musicians joining forces for this evening of music include moe. guitarist Al Schnier and drummer Vinnie Amico, alongside Aqueous’ guitarist Mike Gantzer, bassist Evan McPhaden and drummer Rob Houk.
It’s a cool full circle thing to intertwine the AQ and moe. worlds so directly-Both bands have history at Town Ballroom and share strong roots being from Buffalo, too. There’s something really connective about that, and I’ve always felt a unique kinship and chemistry when making music or even just hanging with those guys. Much of AQ’s early inspiration came from seeing moe. too, so that should tell you just how truly special this will be!
Mike Gantzer
The Halloween show marks the second performance of the group, the first time featuring Aqueous’ Dave Loss, all of whom joined forces for a set in 2017.
We love our boys in AQ almost as much as we love Buffalo! Last time we all got together for a moe.queous throw down, it was such an awesome amalgamation of our two bands, and we knew it was something we should definitely do more often. And this time it’s perfect – in Buffalo, Halloween weekend, Bills vs. Packers, Town Ballroom!! It doesn’t get much better than this (unless of course, Josh Allen is sitting in).
Al Schnier
Just added earlier in the day, a family friendly Soundcheck Costume Party with moe. and Aqueous will be held from 4:15-6pm, with entry to benefit the American Cancer Society while giving kids a chance to dance to your favorite music!
Entry passes will be first come, first served. Attendees must be from the same household. A majority of the entry passes will go to families able to donate $100 or more. The remaining entry passes will go to families able to donate below $100. The entry request link will go live on October 25 at 4:00 pm EST. Those awarded entry will have 60 minutes to make their donation using the provided link or their entry will be released to the next family, so watch your inbox!
Entry requests can be made here. Entry passes to the family friendly Soundcheck Costume Party does not include the moe.queous evening show. You do not need tickets to the moe.queous evening show to attend this event.
Tickets for moequeous are on sale now. Find tickets here.
For many, GWAR has been one of the most consistent heavy metal bands in their lives. On October 22nd, they brought their bloodbath to the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls.
GWAR brings a bloody great time to the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
If you search the name GWAR, it’s easy to see just on the outside what this band brings when they put on a performance. Big costumes, heavy metal, blood and guts. When you go to see them, however, there is something so much more.
But before we go into the main event, let’s talk about the other groups that GWAR brought along.
The opener was a band from Pottsville, PA named Crobot. With a name like that, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. However, as soon as lead singer Brandon Yeagley popped out of a foam egg, the crowd was immediately enthralled with this group. With groove mixed with a lot of Rock ‘n Roll, you couldn’t help but dance/scream/head bang. The energy they brought was incredible and they are certainly a group to keep your eyes out for.
Brandon Yeagley of Crobot flies high while band mates Chris Bishop, on guitar, and Tim Peugh, on bass, rock out. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
Immediately following Crobot, we have the melodic death-metal group Nekrogoblikon. They. Killed. It. The audience was absolutely in love with this group, and with John Goblikon. Their sound was totally unique and they definitely rocked the house down.
Nicky Calonne and John Goblikon jamming out together. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
And finally, we have GWAR. Formed in 1984, this group has been non-stop for more than three decades. Fans of GWAR at Rapids Theater were some of the most dedicated people to a group I’ve ever seen. Normally when you go to a rock show, there is a unspoken dress code of all black all the time. But for this one, fans were dressed in white, in hopes to be part of the carnage that this band brought. Of course there were crowd surfers and mosh pits. What else can you expect? Blothar the Berserker’s vocals are out of this world and the rest of the band are a recipe for success.
This being said, there was also plenty of the blood spewing that the band is known for. From the dismemberment of a ‘GWAR fan’ and a soldier, to the ‘pissing match’ between Blothar’s alter-ego from another universe (which he said was a manifestation of everything that he hates about himself). There was a certain political undertone that was hard to miss and the crowd ate up with the infamous presidential decapitation of Joe Biden, Putin’s demise and even the destruction of Amy Coney Barrett.
Blothar’s alter-ego from another dimension. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
The ‘so much more’ piece mentioned before about this group? The fans of the GWAR are die-hards, they are all connected in a way that is so much more than just the costumes, guts and gore.
If you ever have the chance to see this band perform, do not miss your opportunity. And if you’re too scared to get a little dirty, stay in the back or stay home. This is not for the lighthearted.
GWAR at Rapids Theater Setlist: The Cutter ft. Lzzy Hale, The Issue of Tissue (Spacecake), Bring Back the Bomb, New Dark Age, Mother Fucking Liar, Rise Again, Bored to Death, Saddam a Go-Go, Ratcatcher, Womb With a View, Black and Huge, Venom of the Platypus, Berserker Mode, U Ain’t Shit, None but the Brave Encore: Sick of You, Fuck This Place.
Gwar decapitates a “fan”. Photo by Samantha RychlickiPustulus Maximus of GWAR. Photo By Samantha RychlickiBlothar the Berserker enjoying a cup of a soldier’s blood. Photo by Samantha RychlickiPutin’s destruction. Photo by Samantha RychlickiBonesnapper surveys the area to make sure there’s no trouble (that they aren’t causing). Photo by Samantha RychlickiBeefcake the Mighty on Bass. Photo by Samantha RychlickiFans of all types enjoy the bloodbath that GWAR brings to their show. Photo by Samantha RychlickiBlothar the Berserker. Photo by Samantha RychlickiBalsac the Jaws O Death on lead guitar. Photo by Samantha RychlickiThe aftermath of the gore. Photo by Samantha Rychlicki
Danielle Ponder returned to Rochester for her first show after her major label debut, Some of Us Are Brave. She was back after crisscrossing the country as Marcus Mumford’s opener along with numerous festival dates. But on this night, she was no opener and she needed no warmup, this night belonged to Danielle Ponder and no one else.
The agnostic daughter of a pastor reached back to her roots and preached from her pulpit to the sold out Water Street Music Hall. Instead of seeing God, with the help of some mushrooms, she had seen herself and her place amongst the trees and oceans and earth. Her speaking quickly turned into singing, her voice exponentially more powerful in song, “What a joy it is to be alive… I feel your love and it gives me power…” Her congregation responded not with Amen’s but melodic lalala’s. The power of music was in the house, and Ponder was delivering.
As always, in shows, in interviews, anytime anywhere, her love for her hometown was effusive. Off the bat she inserted a “Rochester NY!” into the opening song. She followed by explaining how Rochester was involved in a group effort to lift her up to the heights she’s reached in the past year. It prepared her to be a professional, impressing the industry bigwigs she’s been rubbing elbows with as of late. Later in the night, she noted humbly, that if she ever falls back down, she knows she can always come back home.
But it wasn’t just about her homecoming. Nearly every song was dedicated to a group of people that resonates with her. “Some of Us Are Brave,” to black women all over the world. “Someone Like You,” to all the singles, including Ponder herself, who wondered why her DM’s weren’t more active then they were. On the contrary, “Only the Lonely” was dedicated to the people who stayed with someone too long. “Poor Man’s Pain” was dedicated to all the Public Defenders, of which she was one not too long ago. Now as she was following her passion of being a professional musician, “So Long” was dedicated to all the dreamers and artists that know their purpose. Her songs were deeply personal, but for everyone.
And for the old school fans, of which there were many, she reached back into her vault to pull out some old favorites. The bluesy “Working” appropriately reminisced her 9 to 5 days, while a cover of Laurny Hill’s “Doo-Wop (That Thing) got the whole place hopping, her friends and family pouring into the pit much to the chagrin of security.
Ponder presented a couple of more cover in the encore. Though when she sang “Whole Lotta Love,” it wasn’t as much a Led Zeppelin song as it was a Danielle Ponder song with lyrics by Robert Plant (though even then some of those words belong to Willie Dixon). Likewise, when she sang “Creep” to close the show, it wasn’t a Radiohead cover, but a Ponder original, that just happened to be written by Thom Yorke. As a song that band has abandoned, it might as well belong to Ponder now anyway. Like one of her inspirations, Nina Simone, Ponder takes these songs and reinvents them for her own purpose, as she has reinvented herself.
As her star begins to rise and explode, is Danielle Ponder at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester in the not too distant future?
B-Real, Sen Dog, Bobo, and Dj Lord, better known as Cypress Hill, took to the stage at The Vine, at Del Lago Casino in Waterloo, NY on Friday October 21, as the band celebrated 30 years of mainstream hip hop and rap, as well as promoting new album, Back in Black.
The Vine @Del Lago
Activists for legalization of cannabis, the band members routinely take the stage with blunts in hand and enjoy the Mary Jane throughout the show and this show did not disappoint! After an approximately 18 minute intro by DJ Lord who seemed to be in his own little haze, B-Real took the stage with blunt in hand and continued to get the crowd pumped up with collaboration of “Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up,” “I Wanna Get High,” “Cisco Kid,” “Dr. Greenthumb,” and “Hits From the Bong.”
30+ years and 10 albums later, these guys from South Gate, CA can still kick it and toke it just as hard as they did in 1988. Fans were in the aisles, on the steps, and on section dividers grooving and moving as the beat played on.
Setlist: DJ Lord intro/ Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up, I Wanna Get High, Cisco Kid, Dr. Greenthumb, Hits From the Bong/Real Estate/Hand on the Pump/Sound of da Police/When the Shit Goes Down/Tequilla Sunrise/Lowrider/Illusions/Latin Lingo/Lick a Shot/How I Could Just Kill a Man/Throw your set in the Air/I Ain’t Going out like that/(Rock Superstar)/Insane in the Brain/Jump Around (House of Pain cover)
The stage curtain was closed. Behind it, a party was being devised. Or more likely it wasn’t, but once it opened and revealed Australia’s The Babe Rainbow on stage, a party was started nonetheless.
The band had just released their new album, The Organic Band, three days prior, so there was plenty worth celebrating. They appropriately opened their set with the album’s first track, “Inner Space,” though from there it was a healthy mix of new and old, actually skewing toward the old. But it didn’t really matter what was played, every last song exuded dance party vibes. There wasn’t a face without a smile or an ass without a shaking in the comfortably crowded venue. With all due respect to Disney, on Monday October 17, Photo City Music Hall in Rochester was the happiest place on Earth.
The stage sat mere inches off the dance floor which provided ample opportunity for the band and crowd to converge in revelry. Early in the show, lead singer Angus Darling was off the stage dancing and singing from the crowd. “Good dance moves, let’s keep it up!” “Planet Junior” with Jack Crowther’s slinky guitar and unavoidable groove did indeed keep it up, as did “Supermoon,” which had drummer Miles Myjavec bouncing in his seat as he laid down another badass beat.
While there are elements of surf in the music, though not much in there to inspire crowd surfing, but that didn’t stop one woman from cruising above the crowd during the loungy “Peace Blossom Boogy.” More appropriate to the vibe, a dance circle broke out during “Monky Disco,” individuals showing off their moves to the encouraging onlookers while Elliot O’Reilly facilitated with some brilliant bass work.
The party was on stage, in the audience, and backstage. Tour mates seventies tuberide would frequently pop out onto the stage to join in the fun, throwing bananas or paper towels into the crowd (not in a natural-disaster-photo-op kind of way, but more of a this-is-the-most-festive-stuff-we-have-on-hand kind of way), and even, the more usual collaboration of playing together. On “Eureka,” announced as The Babe Rainbow theme song, the bass player and drummer came out to add percussion and extra stage energy, jumping all over the stage. There would be more percussion accompaniment added from members of Maybird as well during the encore performance of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.”
Local psychedelic band Maybird opened the show. They’ve been a bit quiet lately, even though they put out a new album earlier this year, a trippy song cycle based on Alice in Wonderland. Their set included a few selections from that, like the psych-disco “Lost in Wonderland” with it’s swelling keys, and the ethereal “I’ll Miss You When I Wake Up.” Maybird’s music improves as it thickens, each added layer adds exponential possibilities. For this set, the core trio of Josh and Adam Netsky and Overhand Sam were joined by Cian (sax) and Shane McCarthy (bass) from Mikaela Davis’s band, Sam Hirsh on keys and Greg Maslyn on percussion. They flexed their collective muscle immediately with the set-opening take on “Maybird,” the usual hectic ending going extra heavy and deep with the added power. The set continued to excite with more classic Maybird material like “Don’t Keep Me Around,” “Gonna Lose Your Mind,” and “Turning Into Water,” each benefiting and sounding spectacular with the extra contributions. We can only hope that a quiet 2022 begets a more active year ahead for the band.
California trio seventies tuberide, also touring with a just out new album, played a slow motion punk grunge. Their tube was riding through a river drenched in reverb. Three-part harmonies, guitars, bass and drums all blended into one singular force. Their songs and band name are all intentionally listed in lower case, which perfectly matches their style. “favorite year love letter” and “skin, hair oil” typified their downbeat punk, while a pre-recorded track and sit-ins from Jack Crowther and Miles Myjavec added a little oomph to “completely dry.” Their short 20 minute set closed with Crowther continuing on in support of “sunday,” which had a nice slow and groovy “Walk On the Wild Side“-esque bass line.
The Babe Rainbow at Photo City Music Hall was just about as much fun as could be had on a Monday night. Let’s do it again next week!
Pop-violinist and dancer Lindsey Stirling has announced tour dates in promotion of her new Christmas album Snow Waltz.
Starting November 17 in Grand Prairie, TX, her 26-show North American Snow Waltz Tour includes stops at Albany’s Palace Theatre on December 6 and Waterloo’s Del Lago Resort & Casino on the 10th.
Promotional poster for the Snow Waltz Tour.
Released on October 7, the 14-song album is Stirling’s sixth record to date, and follows up 2019’s Artemis.
Cover art for ‘Snow Waltz’ by Lindsey Stirling.
Based in Los Angeles, Stirling’s first widespread recognition came in 2010 as a contestant on America’s Got Talent.
Her career has been marked by two Billboard Music Awards including Top Dance/Electronic Album for her third studio record Brave Enough, and a #1 placing on the Billboard, Amazon and iTunes Holiday Charts for her 2017 holiday album, Warmer in Winter.
